Amusement device.



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AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 3.1906. 3 SHEBTS SHEET 2 511,1/ .mw Eil@ ma" No. 892,070. PATBNTBD JUNE 30, 1900.

l P. W. MURPHY.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3.1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FRANCIS W. MURPHY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

AMUSEMIEN T DE VICE.

Y No. 892,070.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1908.

Application led August 3, 1906. Serial No. 328,987.

To all whom (it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS W. MURPHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at BuHalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Amusement Devices, of Whlch the following is a specication.

This invention relates to that class of amusement devices which comprise a vehicle or body for receiving passengers or atrons and means forproducing the illusion t at the vehicle is moving forward.

The object of this invention is to produce an amusement device of this character in which the movements of a sub-marine boat or air ship are simulated so as to give the occupants the im ression that they are being transported undbr water or through the air.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of three sheets: Figure 1 represents a vertil cal longitudinal sectional elevation of a submarine boat or air ship embodying my invention. dinal section of the same', on an enlarged scale, showing the mechanism for producing the rocking or tilting movement of the body Fig. 3 is a bottom `plan view thereof part y in section. Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical transverse sections in lines 4-4 and 5-5 Fig. 2, res ectivelv.

gimilar letters of reference refer to like parts in the several iigures.

A represents the body of the car or vehicle or compartment which is adapted to receive the patrons which are to be entertained. The same is preferably constructed in the shape of a cigar, as shown in the drawings, so as to havothe general a pearance of a submarine boat or air ship rom the interior of the body. Any suitable means may be provided to permit the passengers to enter and leave the body, that shbwn in the drawings consisting of a doorway" or opening a formed at the rear end of the body and a gang-plank B pivoted at one end to the sill of the doorway and resting at its opposite end on a stationary platform b. On the inside of the body seats c are provided for the passengers and in the side walls of the body, windows or those which would port holes d are provided outside of which the effects may be roduced in imitation of be ex erienced in travellng under water such as the assing of fishes or sub-marine vegetation. ff it is desired to imitate the effects which would be experi- Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longituvlows: G, G1 represent two shafts enced in an airship passing through the air, various illusions may be produced such as the movements of clouds and birds past the outsideof the windows.

At the frontend ofthe interior of the compartment or body is arranged an upright screen E upon which the scenes or movmg pictures` appropriate to the occasion may be projected y a picture machine e mounted on an elevated platform or stage F near the rear end of the body, For heightening the illusion of passing under water or through the air, pictures harmonizing with this idea may be thrown upon the screen such as sunken wrecks of ships and divers raising treasures or birds-eye views of cities and landscapes.

While the occupants are being treated to the optical illusions on the screen and at the windows ,of the car body the latter is rocked or tilted fore and aft and also athwartship in imitation of the movement of the car or boat which the same would naturally make in its passage through the water or air. The preferred construction of the mechanism shown in the drawings for' effecting this movement of the body is constructed as folarranged transversely underneath the front and rear parts of the body and journaled in bearings q secured to the adjacent parts of the same. One of these shafts, preferably the forward one, is provided on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the body with two eccentrics o1' cams 7L h which have their high and low parts on different radial lines. The other orl rear transverse shaft is provided with but a single eccentric or cam "i which is preferably arranged centrally relatively to the car body; Each ofv these eccentrics or cams rests with its underside and on opposite sides of its shaft on a pair' of rollers or wheels y', y' which are pivoted on the u per part of a rocking chair, support or saddlb J. This chair is pivoted at its lower end to a base 7c so as to be ca able of oscillating or rocking in a vertical p ane lengthwise of the body. During the rotary movement of each eccentric, that part of the body above the same is alternately raised and lowered as the hi yh and low parts of the'eccentric successive] engage with the rollers of the chair and the fatter rocks forward and backward in adapting itself to the varying positions of the eccentric resting upon the same.

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When it is desired to only When it is desired to rock the body only fore and aft, the'front shaft Gv is held at rest and only the rear shaft G1 is turned whereby the rear part of the body is alternately raised and lowered by the rearl central eccentric t'.

rock the body sidewise, the rear shaft'Gl is held stationary and only the front shaft is turned, causing the high and low parts of the front pair of eccentrics h, 7L to alternately engage their chairs and thus successively raise and lower opposite sides of the body. If desired, both transverse shafts may be rotated at the same time, whereby the body will be rocked fore and aft and also sidewise at the same time. Bystopping the rear shaft G1 while the highest part of its eccentric is in engagementwith its chair, the rear' part of the body will be held in a raised position and give the occupants the impression that the car is diving or descending, while u on bringing the rear shaft to rest while the ow part of its eccentric is in engagement with its chair the effect of ascending is produced. By arresting the movement of the front' transverse shaft while one of its eccentrics has its high part in engagement with its chair and the companion eccentric has its low part in engagement with the res ective chair, the car body may be retained in a laterally inclined position, thereby imitating listing of a boat. It will thus be observed that by controlling the movements of the front and rear eccentrics the various eects of moving straight ahead and descending or ascending may be produced in imitation of the movements of a' submarine boat or air-ship through tran uil water or air and the body may also be roc ed backwards and forwards and sidewise in imitation ofthe `movements which would be experienced by a boat or air ship moving through stormy water or air.

Various means may be employed for driv-Y ing the front and real` transverse shafts, that shown in the drawings, for example, being constructed as follows: L represents a drivin shaft 'ournaled lengthwise on the undersi e of 't e car body at about the center thereof and driven by gearing Zfrom a motor M secured to the adjacent part of the car. This motor is preferably an electrically o erated one but if desired any other suitable type of motor may be employed. N, N1 re resent front and rear intermediate sha s which are journaled lengthwise on the underside of the car body an which form parts of the means for transmitting motion from the driving shaft to the transverse shafts. of these intermediate shafts may be coupled with or uncoupled from the driving shaft by means'of a clutch head O s lined'on the respective intermediate sha and provided with teeth which are movable into and out of engagement with teeth on a clutch head p secured to the adjacent end of the driving Each shaft. At its front end the front intermediate shaft' is operatively connected by a worm g and worm wheel g1 with the front transverse'shaft and the rear intermediate shaft is in like manner connected by a worm 1 and worm wheel r1 with the rear transverse shaft. By means of these clutches either or bothof the transverse shafts may be coupled with the motor for roducing .the motions and effects described? When the motor is disconnected from `both transverse shafts and runs idly, the vibration thereof produces the effects of the propeller of a submarine boat or airship when moving forward under normal conditions In order to control the car and prevent the same from moving lengthwise bodily While* rocking fore and aft the car body is provided with one or more pins or rollers s which engage with vertical slots or guideways s" formed in standards S which are secured at their lower ends to the stationary sup ortor foundation These guideways are o suflicient height to permit the requisite vertical movement at the sides of the car body and are preferably extended upwardly through openings tin the bottom of the car body and concea ed within the body by housings or casin s T arranged above these openings. While permitting free sidewise rocking motion of the car body the guide standards S and the roller s engaging with the slots thereof prevent longitudinal displacement of the car. At opposite sides the` car body is provided with anti-friction rollers or bearers u which engage with the inner-sides of the standards S during its transverse rocking movement.

For the purpose of ermitting the eccentrics to engage proper y with the rollers of their chairs during the sidewise tilting movements of the car body the face of each these eccentrics is curved conveXly so as to form art of a sphere and the periphery of the ro 1ers y' is curved concavously to correspond with the eccentric, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

By the aid of a lecture describing the various scenes and experiences during the imagmary passage through the water or air, a very enjoyable, realistic and instructive entertainmentmay be provided.-

l claim as my invention:

1. An amusement device com risinor a body, an eccentric for rocking said ody oreand aft, and an eccentric for rocking said body sidewise, substantially as-set forth.

2. An amusement device comprising a body, a single eccentric for rocking said body fore and aft, and two .eccentrics arranged with the high and low parts on different radial hnes Iand operating to rock said body sidewlse, substantially as set forth.

3. An amusement device comprising a and serve to steady the bodyA body, means for rocking the body fore and end of the body and provided centrally with` a single eccentric which operates torock the body fore and aft, and another shaft journaled transversely at the opposite end of the body and having a pair of eccentrics on opposite, sidesof the longitudinal center of the body, the high and 10W parts of said pair of eccentrics being arranged on different radial lines and o erating to rock said body transverysely, substantially as set forth.

5. An amusement device com rising a body, a shaft journaled transverse y at one end of the body and provided centrally With a single eccentric which operates to rock the body fore and aft, another shaft journaled transversely at the opposite end of the body and having a pair o eccentrics on op osite sides of the longitudinal center of the Ibody, the high and low parts of said pair of eccentricsl being arranged on different radial lines and operating to rock said body transversely,

a main driving shaft, two intermediate shafts geared with said transverse shafts, respectively, and clutches for connecting and disconnectin Said driving Shaft ad intermediate s afts, substantially as set forth.

6. An amusement device comprising a body, an eccentric pivotally mounted on said -body, and a rocking chair mounted on a stationary su port and receiving said eccentric, substantia ly as set forth.

7. An amusement device comprising a body, an eccentric pivotally mounted on said body, a rocking chair pivoted on a stationary support, and rollers pivoted on said chair and arranged to support the eccentric on opposite sides of its pivot, substantially as set forth.

8. An amusement device com rising a body, an eccentric mounted on the od Y and operating to rock the same fore and art, eccentrics mounted on the body and operating to rock the same sidewise, rocking chairs which support said eccentrics, stationary standards provided with vertical slots7 and rollers mounted on the body and Workingl in said slots, substantially as set' forth.

Witness my hand this 1st day of August, 1906.

FRANCIS W. MURPHY.

Witnesses:

R. MEREDITH, THEO. L. POPP. 

